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When Southern Had to Choose
An article at SaidatSouthern discusses the years when Southern had to choose between the gospel and feminism.
Chosen People
Mark Noll reviews a book whose author writes about “The Bible and Canadian Meaning, 1860-1900.” “The Dominion of Canada, which was established in 1867, took its name from Psalm 72:8: This ascription came after the Fathers of Confederation decided not to call Canada a “Kingdom” for fear of offending the triumphant republicanism of the victorious Union armies.”
Filthy Justice
There’s no real value in reading this story except to laugh at some filthy, filthy justice. In case you didn’t know, “It turns out a construction site portable toilet wasn’t the best place to hide from two men who think you tried to break into their truck.”
A Tool for Bloggers
Bloggers may appreciate this tool which combs through your posts and helps you understand which themes are most popular with your readers.

The Day They Tried to Recruit Me
From Carl Trueman: “I arrived on Faculty at Westminster in the summer of 2001. I had only been on campus for a couple of months before a group of students approached me one lunchtime and tried to recruit me to a most sinister and dangerous cult. … The offer I received was far more dangerous than anything such groups might have made to me. The request was simple: would I be willing to meet with a particular group of students every two weeks in a local bar or restaurant to talk theology?”
Ending Abortion: A Pipe Dream?
Timmy Brister provides video of the contrasting views of Donald Miller and John Piper.
The Best Thing About Sarah Palin
Andy Crouch explains the best thing about Sarah Palin. “The choice of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate has all sorts of interesting political implications, which are being diced and parsed as I write. But I’m more interested in the long-term cultural implications of the choice of Palin…”
Background on the Violence in India
Phil Johnson offers some important background information about the escalating persecution of Christians in India.
Silly Shirts
EatBible is offering a week’s worth of serious talk about silly (or worse) Jesus Junk t-shirts.
The Tattoo Fashion
A great article in “First Things.” “I ask myself, is it surprising that in an age with so few binding commitments postmodern men and women seek symbols of permanence etched into their bodies?”

Pray for India
Phil Johnson details some of the violence against Christians in India.
We Interrupt This Blog
Ed Stetzer provides a list of some of the people he knows who Twitter and who are in the path of Gustav.
Going After Palin’s Daughter
Townhall mentions some of the disgusting, spineless attacks on Palin and her daughter that are coming out of the lefty blogosphere (and being read by millions).
Monday with Mounce
Mounce discusses the semicolon in Bible translation. His article is far more interesting than it sounds!
Musicians and Compassion International
Shaun Groves uses a blog entry to explain how it works when Compassion International teams with an artist or a band to ask people to sponsor children. (HT:Z)

Friday August 29, 2008
Defend the OrphanWSJ has an article about the evangelical emphasis on adoption. “One thing that distinguished early Christians from their pagan neighbors was their treatment of unwanted children. And adoption is also the literal manifestation of a metaphor that Christians use to describe themselves all the time.”
The PCA and Deaconesses
Ron Gleason, a PCA pastor, is writing about his denomination and the discussion about female deacons.
MP3 Library
Monergism.com has just overhauled their expansive MP3 library.
Answered Prayers
“An anonymous member donated the entire jackpot prize of a Ba-Da Bling scratch-off lottery ticket, worth $3 million, the New York Lottery announced yesterday at Eldorado Southern Grille in Port Jefferson Station. The church will receive $150,000 a year, minus taxes, for 20 years.”
New at Discerning Reader
There are lots of new reviews at Discerning Reader.
Save the Planet
Like we didn’t see this one coming: “There are plenty of ways to cut your carbon footprint, whether it’s driving less or buying an energy-efficient refrigerator. But the British Medical Journal, in an editorial last month, urged a more controversial one: having fewer children.”

Thursday August 28, 2008
The Grace to Help Others
Carolyn McCulley shares the interesting testimony of Elaini Garfield. “A few weeks ago, I met a remarkable young woman who lives with multiple health challenges, and yet with a glowing smile told me all about how God had used her to encourage two other ill girls her age.”
TheResurgence Redesign
TheResurgence’s site has been newly redesigned.
Without Walls Making a Comeback
Here is an article detailing how Without Walls Church is making a comeback. After its founders (Randy and Paula White) announced they were to divorce, around 50% of the congregation left. “We’re coming back stronger,” he said in a recent interview. “It’s not rhetoric, but it’s reality. The God we serve is the God of a second chance.”
Fireproof Storytelling
At The Point they write about Fireproof. “I went to the film with a popcorn bag full of prejudices, fully expecting to witness the cheesiest, low-budget Christian flick, and come away patting myself on the back for my high taste in quality film. I left with my fair share of tears, and more questions than I had answers.”

Wednesday August 27, 2008
From the DNC
For a unique spin on the DNC, be sure to read Dave Barry’s columns. The first one is at the link above and the others can be accessed from the left column of the Miami Herald’s site.
Go Outside and Play
This columnist laments the end of “Go outside and play!” “”Play,” incidentally, is a mysterious activity children engage in when not compelled to spend every hour under adult supervision, taking soccer or piano lessons or practicing vocabulary words with computerized flashcards.”
Free Commentary
Logos is offering a free commentary on Matthew and Mark for Logos users. No strings attached. Even people without the software can access this commentary.
Christians and the Lottery
John MacArthur addresses this issue. “The Bible advocates gaining money by inheritance, by hard work, and by wise investment, but it never advocates getting rich by gambling or fast money.”
Charles Wesley’s Secret Diary
“An Anglican priest has unlocked the 270-year-old secrets of Charles Wesley’s coded diary, throwing light on the turbulent relationship that he had with his brother John in the early years of the Methodist movement they founded.”

Tuesday August 26, 2008
Amazon Prime Free Trial
Sign up for a free Amazon Prime trial and you’ll get 30 days of two-day shipping (or $3.00 next-day shipping). After that you can cancel or pay a yearly fee to continue. It’s a program I’d join in a heartbeat if it was offered in Canada!
New WORLDWORLD Magazine has redesigned their web sites and have done a good job of it.
How Your Printer Tricks You
You may want to file this article for the next time your printer [supposedly] runs out of toner. Here is a guy who got 1800 prints out a printer after it claimed it was out of toner!
Don Miller at DNC
At Don Miller’s site you can read the text of his prayer at the DNC.
Moonbats
Little Green Footballs has some amusing photographs and commentary from the protests that marked the first day of the DNC. “Hatred of the United States makes strange bedfellows, and for now the natural enemies — communists and anarchists — seem to have set aside their differences and agreed to bring down capitalism together.”
Abortion Is About God
This new curriculum from The Bethlehem Institute is now available. It features, of course, John Piper. You may also be interested in this video from Piper.
Flew’s Review
For atheist Anthony Flew has written a rather scathing review of Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. “What is much more remarkable than that economic achievement is that the contents - or rather lack of contents - of this book show Dawkins himself to have become what he and his fellow secularists typically believe to be an impossibility: namely, a secularist bigot.”

Monday August 25, 2008
Warren on PoliticsWSJ has an article on “What Saddleback’s Pastor Really Thinks About Politics.”
America Refuses to Accept Defeat
This article from the Times says that China was the clear winner of these Olympic games and I’m inclined to agree.
CCW Blog
Christian Communicators Worldwide (think Jim Elliff) now has a blog that may be worthy of a bookmark.
How Fast Can Humans Go?TIME asks just how fast it is possible for humans to run before they hit the end of their physical limits.
A Brutal Olympics for Christians
This little article points out why the Olympics were particularly brutal for Chinese Christians.
Donald Miller to Give DNC Benediction
Author Donald Miller (of Blue Like Jazz fame) will give a benediction Monday night at the Democratic National Convention. CT conducts a brief interview with him to ask why.

Friday August 22, 2008
MacArthur on Christians as Douloi
Shepherd’s Fellowship is offering a free Mp3 download of MacArthur’s 2008 conference talk on the New Testament’s use of the word doulos, or slave, to refer to Christians.
Barak Obama: the Messiah
This fascinating site collects praise for Obama. An example from Halle Berry: “I’ll do whatever he says to do. I’ll collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear.”
Free Tabletalk
“If you are not aware, Tabletalk published a great issue on “The New Atheism” this month. In light of this timely topic, we would like to equip you with extra copies to discuss atheism with those close to you — or, maybe more importantly, those distant from you and God.”
Library for Sale
Here’s an amazing and unique theological library for sale. It’s crazy expensive but contains over 30,000 volumes.

Thursday August 21, 2008
Brian McLaren Endorses Obama
In this commercial religious leaders Brian McLaren, Pastors Kirbyjon and Suzette Caldwell and Catholic theologian Lisa Cahill discuss Senator’s Obama’s faith and commitment to families.
Meanwhile…
Meanwhile, this video exposes the dark side of a piece of legislation Obama endorsed. It’s worth watching with the caveats Denny provides. You can see Obama’s real commitment to family here.
That Obituary
Some wondered if that obituary I linked to a couple of days ago was genuine. Snopes went digging and found it was true.
The Truth About Healer
An article exposes the truth behind the song Healer. “Michael Guglielmucci, who inspired hundreds of thousands of young Christians with his terminal cancer “battle”, has been exposed as a fraud.”
The Kind of Leader America Needs
After hosting the discussion with McCain and Obama, Rick Warren preached a sermon dealing with ‘The Kind of Leader America Needs.’

About Tim Challies

I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, and am a co-founder of Cruciform Press.